SAN DIEGO STATE UNIVERSITY
SPRING 2015
CLASS: Culture and Society of Tijuana (320)
Tuesday 7 pm – 9:40 pm
Professor Victor Clark - Alfaro
Office: Binational Center for Human Rights (Tijuana)
Office Telephone: 011-52-664-682-85-50
Home Telepone: 011-52-664-683-00-45
E-mail: clarkvictor@hotmail.com
Note. First and Last Class in Adam Humanity Room 2112, the rest of the course in Tijuana.
Text:
Urrea, Luis, By the Lake of Sleeping Children , Anchor, 1996.(Reader)
Byrd Bobby & Susannah Mississippi Byrd, The Late Great Mexican Border:
Reports From a Disappearing Line , Cinco Puntos Press, 1996,(Reader)
Quinonez, Sam, True Tales from Another Mexico: the Lynch, Mob, the Popsicle
Kings, Chalino, and the Bronx, University of New Mexico Press, 2001 (Reader)
Andreas, Peter, Border Games: Policing the U.S.
– Mexico Divide, Cornell
University Press, 2012.(Reader)
Reference books:
Crosby, Ganster et.al. Tijuana 1964 Fotografia e Historia, a Photography and
History View, Centro Cultural Tijuana, San Diego State University and Institute for Regional Studies of the Californias, 2014.
Mexico’s border is an advantage to SDSU, due to its closeness that allows us to develop the class, and teach the student the other face of the border culture, and a door to Latin America. With this course the student would see Tijuana’s other faces rather than the tourist view.
This class offers you the opportunity to know the richest part of Mexican culture, stay in touch with social institution s, daily life customs, city’s important people in order to have a social, cultural and economic perspective.
Tijuana, it is the four most important city of Mexico, and in the latest years it is transformed in a cosmopolitan city, with a cultural diversity due to migration massive arrival from all geographical points of the whole country. Besides, it is one of the most important cities border with the United States, which does make
Tijuana a tourist city. The tourist industry, usually make up Tijuana’s real life, behind that reality, Tijuana other’s face is hidden, the one this class is offering to the student.
This class it is divided on different specific topics: tourist, adolescents and migrant children, street vendedors, public health, filmmakers, among others.
The student will see no tourist view. Paradoxically speaking, one of the classes deals with the tourist theme as an introduction like process, to give the student the opportunity to introduce them to the border social and economy topics.
Halfway throught the course (March 10), the student will turn in a paper with his/her comments and thoughts regarding one of the subjects examine up to that point in the class. This work should consist of between six to eight pages. At the end of the course (May 5), an essay will be due on topic of the student´s choosing and/or one of the topics taken up during the class, taking Tijuana as reference. The work shoul consist of between six to eight typewritten pages.

The student shall prepare two essays on two of the books you choose (8 to 10 pages), To be turn one essay on April 7 and the other essay on May 5:
(1) Urrea, Luis, By the Lake of Sleeping Children , Anchor,
1996.(Reader) or
Byrd Bobby & Susannah Mississippi Byrd, The Late Great Mexican
Border: Reports From a Disappearing Line , Cinco Puntos Press,
1996,(Reader) , to be turn in October 21.
(2) Quiñonez, Sam, True Tales from Another Mexico: the Lynch, Mob, the
Popsicle Kings, Chalino, and the Bronx, University of New Mexico Press,
2001 (Reader), or
Andreas, Peter, Border Games: Policing the U.S.
– Mexico Divide,
Cornell University Press, 2012. (Reader), to be turn in December 2.
Grades are based on:
1. Attendance to classes; 2 Participation in class with your comments, analysis, observations, etcetera;3. Delivery of the essays required for the course; 4. Final class, participation of each student with comments on one of the books and/or topics of the course.
January 27 Tuesday
Introduction to Tijuana. Tijuana an the mexican border area.
In the second part of the class, invited guest human rights activist Rigoberto
Reyes and Coordinator of Via Internacional Los Niños (Binational NGO).
February 3 Tuesday
Tourism in Tijuana. Tourism has been part of the economic activities of Tijuana.
Round table discussion with directors of Committee of Tourism and
Conventions (Comite de Turismo y Convenciones) (Cotuco).
February 10 Tuesday
Tijuana History.
This year Tijuana celebrate 125 years of been founded. Invited guest Historians of Archivo Historico (Instituto Municipal de Cultura).
February 17 Tuesday
The Red Light District. Tijuana important area to understand the social and economic dinamic or the city.Tour at the Red Light District. *
February 24 Tuesday
Independent Culture Institutions.
In recent years the city has a booming of cultural activities, that are changing the city profil. Visit to Centro Culrual Artes del Libro and round table discussion wtih directors. www.facebook.com/ccartesdelibro
March 3 Tuesday

Rehabilitation Center. Tijuana is one of the first places in drug addiction in
Mexico, as a result there is a response from society, with the opening of numerous rehabilitation centers. Visit to a Rehabilitation Center El Alfarero, and table discussion with directors and inmates.
March 10 Tuesday
Adolescents and Migrant Children. In recent months this migration has become an immigration and humanitarian emergency. Visit YMCA migrant shelter. Round table discussion with director Uriel Gonzalez and migrants.
Turn in an essay (6 to 8 pages) with comments and thoughts regarding one of the subjects examined up to this point in class.
March 17 Tuesday
The Mexican Border Perspective From Americans Living on the Mexican Side.
Class in Tijuana at the USA Consulate General. Guest speaker, Consul General de Estados Unidos en Baja California.
March 24 Tuesday
The Victims of Violence. In the recent past, dozens of people were abducted and disappeared, as part of the violence that for years the city suffered. The scenario has changed, however, is essential to know this violent period, as part of border scenario, which had important impacts on the city. Guest Association of Relatives of Disappeared
(Asociacion de Familiares de Desaparecidos) and Executive Commission of Attention to
Victims (Comision Ejecutiva de Atencion a Victimas). Round table discusión.
March 30 – April 3 Spring recess
April 7 Tuesday
Street Vendedors. One of the most visible social and economical phenomenon in the steets of Latin American cities are street vendedors. Invite guest a group of street vendedors. Round table discussion.
Turn in essay on a book you chosse (8 to 10 pages).
April 14 Tuesday
Mexican Border Filmmakers. The Mexican border through the eyes of Tijuana filmmakers. Directors of Bordex. Round table discussion.
April 21Tuesday
The Public Health System. in theory all Mexicans, without distinction of social class, have free medical service. Guest directors of Seguro Popular. Roud table discussion.
April 28 Tuesday
Journalists at the border. In the last decade, Mexico has become one of the most risky countries for journalists. We will know firsthand the work of journalists at the border, their risks, and their challenges. Round table discussion with local Journalists.

May 5 Tuesday
Final conclusions. Comments from each students. Turn in essay on a subject your choosing and/or one of the subjects taken up in class, taking Tijuana as a reference (6 to
8 pages) and turn in an essay on one of the books you chose (8 to 10 pages).
* No camaras